Why KRMA Uses Structured Progression in Mixed Martial Arts

Evidence review updated: September 2026

Does MMA have belts?

Does MMA have grades?

Can somebody legitimately hold a grade in Mixed Martial Arts?

These sound like simple questions, but the accurate answer requires more explanation than a simple yes or no.

There is no single universal belt system used by every MMA gym, coach or organisation in the world.

Many highly respected MMA gyms do not use belts at all. Some use informal beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Some recognise ranks earned in individual component disciplines such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Others use structured MMA-specific grading systems.

All of those approaches can produce excellent martial artists.

So if somebody says:

“My MMA gym doesn't use belts.”

They may be completely correct.

But if that statement becomes:

“MMA doesn't have grades.”
“You can't grade MMA.”
“An MMA grade isn't legitimate because MMA has no grading system.”

the available evidence tells a very different story.

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation operates a specific technical progression and grading system for MMA. Its current participant pathway explicitly discusses grading assessments, technical criteria, minimum standards and the authority of appropriately qualified coaches to grade students (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation [IMMAF], n.d.-a).

This isn't merely a theoretical system.

IMMAF reported in 2024 that 107 national federations were using its progression app, tracking 18,500 athletes globally, with significant grading activity in countries including India, Spain, France, South Africa, Colombia, Lebanon and Greece (IMMAF, 2024a).

France operates a national MMA technical grading programme through the Fédération de MMA Français, progressing from White through Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple and Brown to Black (Fédération de MMA Français [FMMAF], n.d.).

By May 2026, the French federation reported 18,737 assessed MMA grades awarded since 2020, excluding automatically allocated White grades (FMMAF, 2026).

Ireland has introduced national MMA grading (Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association [IMMAA], 2020), Belgium supports the IMMAF technical grading pathway (Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation [BMMAF], n.d.), and the Netherlands publishes MMA technical progression criteria (Nederlandse MMA Federatie [NLMMAF], n.d.).

Meanwhile, the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association publishes formal Level and Dan Assessment Standards, while the Olympic Council of Asia identifies AMMA as the Asian federation for MMA (Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association [AMMA], 2025; Olympic Council of Asia [OCA], n.d.).

So the existence of grading within contemporary MMA is not really a matter of opinion.

MMA grading demonstrably exists.

The more interesting discussion is whether grading MMA is useful, what an MMA grade should represent, and whether there are meaningful standards behind it.

At Koku-Ryu Martial Arts, those are the questions we think actually matter.

What Exactly Is Mixed Martial Arts?

Modern Mixed Martial Arts is an integrated combat sport incorporating striking, grappling, takedowns, submissions, positional control and transitions between different ranges of combat.

The Olympic Council of Asia, for example, describes MMA as a combat sport integrating multiple martial arts disciplines, including striking, grappling and submission techniques (OCA, n.d.).

That creates an interesting learning challenge.

A developing MMA practitioner cannot simply learn a collection of unrelated techniques and expect them automatically to work together.

A student might develop good boxing skills but struggle when an opponent changes levels for a takedown.

They might become competent at wrestling but discover that their entries change dramatically once strikes are introduced.

They might understand submissions but struggle to reach and maintain the required position against resistance.

They might even be technically competent in several individual areas but have difficulty transitioning smoothly between striking, clinching, wrestling and groundwork.

The “Mixed” in Mixed Martial Arts matters.

Development therefore involves both acquiring individual skills and learning how those skills interact.

That is one reason why we believe a structured curriculum has value.

Does MMA Actually Have a Grading System?

There is no single universal MMA grading system.

That needs to be stated clearly.

Many MMA gyms do not grade.

That doesn't make their training incomplete or illegitimate.

Modern MMA developed heavily through competitive fighting, with athletes arriving from established disciplines such as Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Sambo and Muay Thai.

Their competence could often be demonstrated through competitive performance or through grades already earned within component disciplines.

Consequently, many MMA gyms simply never saw a reason to introduce an additional MMA-specific grade.

That remains completely legitimate.

But MMA has continued developing.

It is no longer solely the domain of professional fighters or aspiring competitors.

Children, teenagers and recreational adults now train in MMA without necessarily intending to step into a competitive cage.

That creates a different coaching question:

How do we structure and recognise the progression of somebody who wants to learn MMA but doesn't necessarily want to become a competitive fighter?

IMMAF has attempted to answer exactly that question.

The IMMAF MMA Grading System

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation operates an MMA-specific technical progression scheme.

IMMAF's published Technical Progression Scheme provides criteria for assessing MMA students in areas including striking, combinations, clinches, takedowns, throws, fence control and groundwork (IMMAF, n.d.-a).

Its guidance recommends a minimum pass standard of 80% for each technical element and permits appropriately qualified coaches to organise grading assessments formally or through smaller developmental assessments (IMMAF, n.d.-a).

Most significantly for this discussion, IMMAF explicitly uses the word:

Grading.

This is not us applying traditional martial arts terminology to MMA.

It is the terminology used by an international MMA federation.

IMMAF has described approximately 230 techniques within its progression syllabus, covering ten areas of competence including striking attacks, striking defence, kicks, kick defence, fence control, fence escapes, takedowns, submissions, submission defence and groundwork reversals (IMMAF, 2022).

Its progression system includes Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple and Brown stages, progressing towards Black Belt (IMMAF, 2022).

IMMAF also links grading authority directly to coaching qualifications.

A Level 1 coach requires at least Green Belt technical grade and may grade club members to Yellow and Orange.

A Level 2 coach requires at least Purple Belt and may grade members up to Blue.

A Level 3 coach requires Black Belt and may grade club members up to Brown Belt (IMMAF, n.d.-b).

Again, this is not simply a theoretical curriculum sitting unused in a handbook.

In 2019, IMMAF launched an app specifically enabling practitioners to track progression through an “MMA-specific grading system” and obtain belt certification (IMMAF, 2019).

By July 2024, IMMAF reported that 107 national federations were using its app, tracking the development of 18,500 athletes globally (IMMAF, 2024a).

The most active federations for grading reported at that time included:

• India — 1,153 graded athletes

• Spain — 1,066

• France — 965

• South Africa — 954

• Colombia — 732

• Lebanon — 603

• Greece — 400

(IMMAF, 2024a).

IMMAF has subsequently continued awarding technical grades, including Black Belt awards to MMA coaches internationally (IMMAF, 2024b).

Whatever somebody personally thinks about belts in MMA, the statement that “MMA doesn't have grades” simply does not reflect the evidence.

MMA Grading Around the World

The international picture is important because it demonstrates that grading MMA is not simply something invented by one independent club.

France — Fédération de MMA Français

France provides one of the strongest examples.

The Fédération de MMA Français operates a national technical progression programme specifically designed for MMA.

Its system contains eight technical grades:

White → Yellow → Orange → Green → Blue → Purple → Brown → Black

(FMMAF, n.d.).

The federation explains that its system is designed to standardise technical progression using a pathway appropriate to the age and experience of the practitioner.

Students progressively learn to deal with the different distances, speeds and levels of resistance involved in MMA (FMMAF, n.d.).

The grades also have practical consequences.

For example, Green Grade is required for participation in adult amateur MMA competition within the relevant French pathway, while the higher grades connect to further coaching and competitive progression (FMMAF, n.d.).

Most significantly, we can measure how extensively the system is actually being used.

Federal data extracted on 22 May 2026 recorded:

• 6,494 Yellow Grades

• 6,121 Orange Grades

• 5,501 Green Grades

• 206 Blue Grades

• 207 Purple Grades

• 208 Brown Grades

That equals:

18,737 assessed MMA grades

with automatically allocated White grades specifically excluded from the statistics (FMMAF, 2026).

France had also trained 197 grade evaluators to support this national progression structure (FMMAF, 2026).

These aren't theoretical grades.

They represent thousands of practitioners progressing through an organised national MMA system.

Ireland — Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association

Ireland provides another clear example.

In 2020, the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association formally announced the introduction of a national MMA grading system in accordance with IMMAF and in cooperation with UAMMA (IMMAA, 2020).

Candidates were assessed by IMMAF-certified Level 3 coaches, with belt rankings allocated according to performance, understanding of techniques and demonstrated skill level (IMMAA, 2020).

Again, the significant point isn't that every Irish MMA gym must grade.

It's that:

Formal national MMA grading exists within organised Irish MMA.

Belgium — Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation

The Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation openly supports the IMMAF Talent Development Pathway.

Its published guidance states that the grading system can establish standards within MMA, structure courses, support beginners and advanced practitioners, give non-competitors meaningful progression and help monitor appropriate technical levels (BMMAF, n.d.).

For coaches, the system provides tools to:

• manage students' technical development;

• manage student belts;

• assess movement;

• adjust progression.

For athletes, the system enables them to:

• monitor technical progression;

• receive belts;

• access learning materials;

• communicate with coaches

(BMMAF, n.d.).

Netherlands — Nederlandse MMA Federatie

The Dutch MMA federation also publishes technical grading criteria.

Its pathway contains assessment across areas including striking, combinations, clinching, takedowns, throws, fence control and groundwork (NLMMAF, n.d.).

This provides another national example of MMA technical development being organised through formal progression.

Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association

The Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association provides a particularly interesting example.

AMMA publishes formal:

Level and Dan Assessment Standards

for Mixed Martial Arts (AMMA, 2025).

Its assessment structure includes both theoretical and practical examination, with candidates required to achieve the specified overall assessment standard to receive promotion to a higher Level or Dan (AMMA, 2025).

This is particularly noteworthy because the Olympic Council of Asia identifies the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association as the Asian federation for MMA (OCA, n.d.).

The OCA and AMMA also jointly operate coach and referee development programmes, and MMA is being incorporated within major Asian multi-sport competition structures (OCA, 2025).

So within contemporary organised MMA we can find:

belts;

technical grades;

levels;

Dan rankings;

formal assessments;

qualified examiners;

and recorded technical progression.

Different organisations use different terminology.

The principle remains the same:

Technical development in MMA can be structured, assessed and formally recognised.

And These Are Not the Only Examples

There are also individual martial arts organisations and academies operating their own MMA progression systems.

For example, Atlas Martial Arts in the United Kingdom publishes a children's MMA belt and grading system in which students progress according to defined syllabus criteria (Atlas Martial Arts, n.d.).

Baekjul Black Belt Academy in Australia similarly publishes a specific MMA syllabus and belt progression, explicitly explaining that while many MMA academies choose not to use belts, their students progress through defined MMA ranks towards Black Belt (Baekjul Black Belt Academy, n.d.).

These private-academy examples should not be given the same evidential weight as IMMAF, a national federation or a continental sports body.

But they demonstrate something useful:

structured MMA progression is being used at both federation and club level.

More importantly, the federation-level evidence alone is already enough to establish that MMA grading is a genuine contemporary practice.

What About the Satori Alliance and Dave Kovar?

There are useful examples in the wider martial arts industry too.

Hanshi Dave Kovar's martial arts organisations openly embrace cross-training and hybrid martial arts development.

Kovar's own academies describe their curriculum as drawing from:

Kenpo;
Mixed Martial Arts;
Kickboxing;
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu;
Eskrima;
Krav Maga

(Kovar's Martial Arts, n.d.).

Yet structured ranking remains part of that educational model, with the academies publicly referring to students advancing in rank and participating in belt testing (Kovar's Martial Arts, n.d.).

Kovar Systems also describes Dave Kovar's Satori Alliance as an organisation dedicated to raising instructional standards through Instructor Certification and Ranking (Kovar Systems, n.d.).

We need to be precise about what this proves.

It does not mean Satori Alliance operates the same MMA technical grading structure as IMMAF.

Nor are we suggesting that a Satori ranking is automatically equivalent to an IMMAF grade.

What it demonstrates is something broader:

A respected modern martial arts organisation can openly teach an integrated curriculum containing MMA and multiple other combat systems while simultaneously using structured ranking.

The concepts are not contradictory.

What About Hybrid Combat Arts Such as Kudo?

Kudo provides another useful comparison.

Kudo integrates multiple combat ranges, including striking, throws and groundwork, while remaining a full-contact combat sport.

Yet the Kudo International Federation maintains a formal Dan/Kyu ranking structure.

Promotion is conducted through skills examinations, and the organisation publishes Rank Certification Rules, Belt Promotion Test Procedures and scoring criteria for Dan examinations (Kudo International Federation [KIF], n.d.-a).

Black Belt examinations include technical assessment alongside full-contact sparring against multiple opponents (KIF, n.d.-b).

Again, Kudo and MMA are not identical sports.

That's not the argument.

The useful principle is this:

A full-contact combat sport incorporating striking, throwing and groundwork can also use formal grades.

Competition and grading are not mutually exclusive.

Kickboxing Provides Another Example

Kickboxing is particularly relevant because it is another modern combat sport whose identity developed through interaction between existing fighting systems.

The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations describes modern Kickboxing as a:

“modern combat sport rooted in various traditional martial arts”

(World Association of Kickboxing Organizations [WAKO], n.d.).

Its historical account traces WAKO's early competitive development through Full Contact Karate before the modern term Kickboxing became established (WAKO, n.d.).

Kickboxing therefore provides another example of a modern combat sport developing through existing martial arts influences rather than appearing completely independently.

And Kickboxing organisations have subsequently developed technical grading structures alongside competition.

Once again:

Having competition does not prevent technical grading.

Competition Rules and Grading Systems Are Not the Same Thing

This distinction is fundamental.

A competition ruleset asks:

What are you allowed to do during a competitive contest?

A syllabus asks:

What are you expected to learn?

A grading framework asks:

What level of that curriculum can you currently demonstrate?

These are three different questions.

The fact that professional MMA competitors don't enter the cage wearing coloured MMA belts does not demonstrate that MMA cannot have a grading curriculum.

Similarly, the rules of a Kickboxing match don't need to explain its grading syllabus.

Judo's contest rules don't need to contain everything somebody learns throughout their Judo education.

A competitive environment primarily assesses performance against another competitor under a particular ruleset.

A grading assesses performance against predetermined technical or curriculum standards.

There can be considerable overlap.

But they are not the same measurement.

Mixing Martial Arts Is Much Older Than Modern MMA

There is another misconception worth addressing.

Modern Mixed Martial Arts, normally abbreviated to MMA, refers to a particular contemporary combat sport.

We are not suggesting that Karate, Judo, Kickboxing, Sambo, Kajukenbo or Kudo should simply be renamed “MMA”.

They each have their own histories, identities, cultures and technical frameworks.

However, the broader idea of:

combining;

exchanging;

adapting;

testing;

and integrating techniques from different fighting systems

is much older than the modern sport of MMA.

In fact, martial arts history is full of it.

Karate Did Not Develop in Complete Isolation

Karate provides an excellent example.

The Japan Karate Association explains that Okinawan Te, an important ancestor of modern Karate, developed as a local method of self-defence but was influenced by Chinese martial arts because of Okinawa's extensive contact and cultural exchange with China (Japan Karate Association [JKA], n.d.-a).

The JKA is particularly direct about this:

it states that Okinawan martial arts were influenced by Chinese Kempo during their development (JKA, n.d.-a).

The organisation's own Chairman has similarly described Karate as originally developing in Okinawa under the influence of Chinese Kempo before its introduction to mainland Japan, where it continued to evolve into modern Karate-do (Kusahara, n.d.).

Gichin Funakoshi subsequently systematised Karate's techniques, theory and teaching methods as the art developed further in Japan (JKA, n.d.-b).

That does not somehow make Karate less authentic.

Quite the opposite.

It demonstrates something fundamental:

Martial arts evolve.

People exchange ideas.

Techniques cross cultural boundaries.

Methods are adapted.

Training methods change.

Things that fit the objectives of a developing martial art are retained.

Others may be modified or removed.

Eventually, the resulting martial art establishes its own identity.

Judo Was Deliberately Synthesised

Judo provides an even clearer example.

Jigoro Kano studied multiple existing Jujutsu traditions before founding Kodokan Judo.

The International Judo Federation describes Kodokan Judo explicitly as:

a synthesis of several schools of Jujutsu

to which Kano added ideas obtained from wider study, interviews and previously neglected techniques (International Judo Federation [IJF], n.d.).

The IJF's historical material explains that Kano immersed himself in multiple teachings before synthesising what he had learned into his own system (IJF, 2023).

Kano didn't simply combine techniques randomly.

He analysed existing systems.

He retained useful principles.

He modified training methods.

He removed practices that did not fit the educational and safety objectives of the developing system.

And he created something distinct.

Today Judo has an internationally recognised identity separate from the Jujutsu systems that influenced it.

And Judo has grades.

The synthesis of existing martial arts therefore did not make Judo's subsequent ranking system meaningless.

Sambo Is Explicitly a Mixed System

Sambo provides an even more striking historical example.

The International Sambo Federation describes Sambo as a universal martial art based upon many sports, national wrestling traditions and self-defence systems.

Its historical account identifies influences including:

• Japanese Judo;

• Japanese Jiu-Jitsu;

• French Savate;

• Georgian wrestling;

• Mongolian wrestling;

• Chinese Shuai Jiao;

• Armenian wrestling;

• Moldavian wrestling;

• numerous other regional traditions

(International Sambo Federation [FIAS], 2012).

Sambo is not modern MMA.

It has its own identity and competitive structures.

But its history demonstrates an important point:

Combining effective methods from different fighting systems is not something modern MMA invented.

Kajukenbo Was Deliberately Created by Mixing Martial Arts

Kajukenbo might be one of the clearest examples of all.

Kajukenbo was created in Hawaii between approximately 1947 and 1949 by a group of martial artists from different backgrounds known as the Black Belt Society.

They deliberately trained together with the aim of developing an adaptive system combining useful aspects of their respective arts (Kajukenbo.org, n.d.).

Even its name records the synthesis:

KA — Karate

JU — Judo/Jujitsu

KEN — Kenpo

BO — Boxing/Chinese Boxing

(Kajukenbo.org, n.d.).

Its history also records further influence from American Boxing and Filipino martial arts such as Escrima (Kajukenbo.org, n.d.).

Kajukenbo wasn't accidentally influenced by several systems.

It was deliberately created as a hybrid martial art.

And yet Kajukenbo practitioners use ranks.

Again:

Integration does not prevent progression from being assessed.

Even the Ancient World Combined Fighting Systems

The idea goes back considerably further still.

Ancient Greek Pankration combined aspects of boxing and wrestling with kicking, strangling, joint manipulation and other forms of unarmed combat.

The Oxford Classical Dictionary describes Pankration as combining boxing and wrestling while allowing a much wider range of combat techniques (Wright and Instone, 2016).

Pankration obviously wasn't twenty-first-century MMA.

But it demonstrates that humans have been integrating striking and grappling into broader fighting systems for thousands of years.

Modern MMA is a modern expression of an old question:

What happens when different methods of fighting interact?

So Are Karate, Judo and Kickboxing “MMA”?

No.

Not in the modern sporting sense.

This distinction is important.

Modern MMA has its own recognisable rulesets, competitive identity and international ecosystem.

Karate is Karate.

Judo is Judo.

Sambo is Sambo.

Kickboxing is Kickboxing.

Kudo is Kudo.

Kajukenbo is Kajukenbo.

But the historical evidence establishes an important principle:

Mixing martial arts does not invalidate a martial art.

Cross-pollination, experimentation, adaptation and integration have repeatedly played a role in martial arts development.

So the fact that contemporary MMA explicitly integrates multiple combat disciplines does not make formal technical progression impossible.

If anything, the range of competencies involved in MMA provides a legitimate educational reason to consider how those competencies should be organised and developed.

Why Does KRMA Grade MMA?

Our reasoning begins with education.

Not tradition.

Not selling coloured belts.

Not pretending every MMA gym should copy us.

And certainly not claiming that a belt is more important than fighting ability.

A person walking into their first MMA lesson faces an enormous subject.

Over time they may need to develop ability in areas including:

• stance and movement;

• striking mechanics;

• defensive striking;

• combinations;

• distance management;

• kicking;

• clinch work;

• wrestling;

• takedown entries;

• takedown defence;

• wall or cage work;

• positional grappling;

• escapes;

• sweeps and reversals;

• submissions;

• submission defence;

• transitions;

• tactical decision-making;

• controlled sparring;

• integration between ranges.

Telling a beginner:

“Get better at MMA.”

isn't particularly useful.

A structured curriculum allows us to divide an enormous developmental journey into manageable stages.

Instead of simply:

Learn MMA

we can create:

Learn → Practise → Apply → Receive Feedback → Improve → Demonstrate Competence → Progress

For us, that is what grading should support.

The belt is the marker. The learning is the important part.

What Does Science Say About Structured Learning?

This is an area where we need to be particularly careful.

Scientific research should not be used as decoration to make a marketing argument appear stronger than it really is.

We have not found convincing scientific evidence demonstrating that simply giving an MMA student a coloured belt automatically makes them a better fighter, more motivated person or more committed student.

We therefore do not make that claim.

What research does support are several principles that can form part of a well-designed progression system.

These include:

• effective feedback;

• measurable development;

• appropriate goal-setting;

• development of competence;

• progressive physical learning;

• purposeful practice;

• supportive coaching environments.

A grading system can help organise those principles.

The grading system itself is not magic.

What happens within it matters.

Feedback and Motor Learning

Feedback is fundamental to learning physical skills.

A systematic review by Zhou, Shao and Wang examined 23 studies investigating feedback and motor-skill learning in physical education and found strong evidence supporting feedback as an effective tool for skill development (Zhou, Shao and Wang, 2021).

A subsequent meta-analysis examining 15 studies also found a significant overall effect of feedback upon motor-skill learning, while demonstrating that effectiveness varied depending upon how feedback was delivered (Han, Syed Ali and Ji, 2022).

That second point is important.

Simply telling somebody:

“Wrong.”

isn't necessarily good coaching.

Similarly:

“You failed your grading.”

without explaining why offers very little educational value.

Assessment should help students understand:

• what they performed well;

• what didn't meet the required standard;

• why it matters;

• how it can be improved;

• what they need to demonstrate next.

That's the kind of assessment culture we want.

Goal-Setting and Sporting Performance

Grades also create goals.

But research suggests that the type of goal matters.

Williamson et al. conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of goal-setting research in sport.

After screening 17,841 records, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria.

The analysis found that process goals produced the largest observed effect upon sporting performance compared with performance and outcome goals.

Process goals also demonstrated substantial effects upon self-efficacy (Williamson et al., 2022).

This has an obvious martial arts application.

“Become a Black Belt.”

is an outcome.

Compare that with:

“Improve my defensive footwork.”

“Maintain posture while defending this takedown.”

“Escape this position consistently against appropriate resistance.”

“Connect my striking to my clinch entry correctly.”

Those are processes.

A good curriculum breaks a distant outcome into developmental processes.

The next grade can then recognise that the student has demonstrated the appropriate standards.

Competence and Motivation

Self-Determination Theory has become an influential framework for understanding motivation in sport and physical activity.

A 2025 systematic review of systematic reviews found that perceived competence, intrinsic regulation and identified regulation positively influenced physical-activity levels across different age groups (Xu et al., 2025).

A separate contemporary review concluded that Self-Determination-Theory-informed interventions are often effective in changing physical-activity and exercise behaviour, with autonomous motivation, interpersonal support and competence need satisfaction among the mechanisms identified (Ntoumanis and Moller, 2025).

Again, this does not mean:

“Belts create motivation.”

The research doesn't demonstrate that.

What it tells us is more useful:

Experiencing genuine competence matters.

There is a significant difference between:

“Here's your next belt because you've attended for six months.”

and:

“Six months ago you couldn't do this. Today you successfully demonstrated it against the required standard.”

The second statement identifies actual development.

The belt can become a visible representation of that development.

Physical Literacy: More Than Collecting Techniques

Physical-literacy research provides another useful perspective.

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Carl et al. examined 48 physical-literacy interventions and found significant effects across areas including physical competence, motivation and confidence, knowledge and understanding, physical activity and overall physical literacy (Carl et al., 2022).

The strongest effects were observed for physical competence.

Again, this is not direct research into martial arts belts.

It supports a wider educational principle.

Good physical education involves more than memorising movements.

A martial artist should progressively develop:

Competence + Confidence + Understanding + Application

That's particularly important in MMA.

Knowing ten submissions from cooperative positions is different from understanding when those submissions are actually available.

Knowing a takedown is different from recognising the correct entry.

Throwing technically attractive punches against pads is different from managing distance against a moving opponent.

Progression should therefore move beyond simply reproducing techniques.

Time Served Is Not the Same as Competence

There is also a danger in equating attendance with ability.

Research into deliberate practice and sporting performance demonstrates that practice matters, but that accumulated practice does not explain everything about sporting ability.

A major meta-analysis by Macnamara, Moreau and Hambrick found that deliberate practice accounted for approximately 18% of the variance in sporting performance overall, and considerably less among elite athletes (Macnamara, Moreau and Hambrick, 2016).

Students develop at different rates.

They arrive with different:

• physical abilities;

• previous sporting experiences;

• movement skills;

• confidence levels;

• learning histories;

• martial arts backgrounds.

That's why our philosophy is:

Time creates an opportunity to become competent. Time itself is not competence.

Attendance creates opportunities for development.

It should not automatically guarantee promotion.

Ultimately, students should demonstrate the standard required.

Aren't Belts Just External Rewards?

They can become that.

Poorly designed grading systems can create exactly that problem.

If students are taught that martial arts is primarily about collecting the next coloured belt, the external reward can begin replacing actual development.

Research involving 228 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners found competence and interest/enjoyment to be particularly important motives for participation (Tarver and Levy, 2023).

Research involving martial artists in the West Midlands also identified factors such as affiliation, fitness and skill development as important participation motives, while rewards/status ranked considerably lower (Jones, Mackay and Peters, 2006).

This gives instructors something worth thinking about.

We don't want students thinking:

“I have to train because I want another coloured belt.”

We would rather develop somebody who thinks:

“I want to become capable of doing what that belt represents.”

At KRMA:

The belt should represent competence. Competence should not exist merely to obtain the belt.

Those philosophies may initially sound similar.

Educationally, they are very different.

What Does Research Say About Martial Arts More Generally?

There is also a growing scientific literature examining martial arts participation.

A 2022 systematic review examined 16 studies containing 1,615 children participating in Karate, Judo, Taekwondo and Aikido.

The authors reported positive effects across several measures of physical fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, agility, strength, flexibility, coordination and balance (Stamenković et al., 2022).

A systematic review and meta-analysis examining martial arts and mental-health outcomes found a small positive effect upon wellbeing and a moderate effect upon internalising mental-health outcomes within the included studies, although substantial variation existed between the studies (Moore, Dudley and Woodcock, 2020).

More recent research demonstrates why exaggerated claims should be avoided.

A systematic review examining martial arts, combat sports and adult mental health found evidence to be inconclusive or limited in several areas and highlighted the complex relationship between different martial arts environments and psychological outcomes (Ciaccioni et al., 2024).

Most recently, a 2026 systematic review examining martial arts training and aggressive behaviour among children and adolescents reported heterogeneous outcomes and highlighted factors including training structure, educational objectives and pedagogical guidance (Deng, Ma and Luo, 2026).

We think that's particularly important.

The question:

“Are martial arts good for children?”

may actually be too simplistic.

A better question is:

“How are those martial arts being taught?”

The instructor matters.

The environment matters.

The curriculum matters.

The culture matters.

The expectations matter.

The safety procedures matter.

The feedback matters.

The standards matter.

The name of the martial art above the door cannot, by itself, tell you everything about the training occurring inside.

What Does BMABA Say About Grading?

Koku-Ryu Martial Arts is a member of the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association, and our approach to structured progression sits within a wider framework concerned with grading integrity.

BMABA's National Grading Integrity & Examination Standards (NGIES) framework was introduced to promote credible, technically justified and ethically administered grading across different martial arts environments.

Importantly, it is explicitly intended to accommodate traditional, modern, freestyle, hybrid and discipline-specific pathways provided that grading is technically justified, transparently recorded and appropriately administered (British Martial Arts & Boxing Association [BMABA], 2025).

Its principles state that progression should be based upon demonstrated ability, effort and readiness rather than attendance quotas, time served alone or automatic promotion (BMABA, 2025).

BMABA also addresses branded martial arts programmes.

It requires organisations using proprietary programme names to identify the underlying martial art or technical framework clearly enough that students and the public understand what is actually being graded (BMABA, 2025).

That distinction is directly relevant to KRMA Kombat:

KRMA Kombat is our programme and curriculum. Mixed Martial Arts is the discipline.

We are not claiming that a KRMA Kombat Purple Belt is a universal MMA qualification that every organisation on Earth must automatically treat as identical to its own Purple Belt.

There is no single universal MMA belt structure.

What we are saying is that our grade records development against a defined Mixed Martial Arts curriculum and assessment framework.

BMABA also provides a syllabus-review process.

Eligible clubs can submit their syllabus for senior executive review and, where successful, have that syllabus licensed against BMABA standards (BMABA, n.d.).

Our KRMA Kombat syllabus has undergone BMABA review and approval.

That external scrutiny doesn't mean BMABA personally teaches every KRMA lesson or conducts every individual student grading.

Nor would we claim that it does.

It demonstrates that our curriculum can be documented, examined and scrutinised rather than existing simply as an undocumented collection of techniques changing from week to week.

That distinction matters to us.

So What Makes a Martial Arts Grade “Real”?

This may actually be the wrong question.

A printed certificate can be physically real.

A coloured belt can be physically real.

Neither automatically tells us whether the achievement behind it is meaningful.

A much better question is:

What does the grade represent?

We believe a credible grading structure should be capable of answering several questions.

What martial art or curriculum is being assessed?

Students should know what they are studying.

Is there a defined syllabus?

Progression shouldn't be completely arbitrary.

Are the standards understandable?

Students, instructors and examiners should understand what advancement requires.

Is advancement based upon demonstrated development?

Simply paying a fee or reaching a particular anniversary should not automatically result in promotion.

Are examiners appropriately competent?

Someone assessing another person's technical development should understand the skills being assessed.

Is progression properly recorded?

There should be accountability regarding when and by whom grades were awarded.

Is the organisation honest about what the grade means?

An organisation-specific grade should not be falsely marketed as a universal qualification.

Put simply:

Curriculum → Instruction → Practice → Application → Assessment → Feedback → Demonstrated Competence → Progression

The belt is the visible object at the end.

The credibility comes from everything that happened before it.

What Does a KRMA Kombat Grade Actually Mean?

A KRMA Kombat grade represents a student's development against the KRMA Kombat Mixed Martial Arts curriculum and assessment framework.

It is not a claim that:

• every MMA gym uses our belts;

• every MMA federation uses identical grades;

• our grading structure is compulsory outside KRMA;

• our belt colours correspond directly to every other organisation's colours;

• a higher belt automatically defeats a lower belt;

• holding an MMA grade automatically makes somebody a competitive MMA fighter;

• an MMA Black Belt automatically makes somebody an elite professional fighter.

Those are not claims we make.

Our grades recognise developmental achievement within a defined curriculum.

They enable students, parents, instructors and examiners to understand where somebody currently sits within their technical development.

Does a Higher Belt Mean You Would Win a Fight?

No.

A grade and a fight measure different things.

A curriculum-based assessment asks:

Can this person demonstrate the knowledge and skills required at this stage of the curriculum?

A competitive fight asks:

Can this athlete outperform this particular opponent, under this particular ruleset, on this particular occasion?

Competitive performance involves numerous factors including:

• technical skill;

• tactical decision-making;

• conditioning;

• strength;

• speed;

• weight;

• psychology;

• competitive experience;

• preparation;

• injuries;

• stylistic matchups;

• situational factors.

A technically knowledgeable martial artist can lose a competition.

A highly effective competitive fighter may have no interest whatsoever in formal grading.

Neither observation invalidates the other person's achievements.

Interestingly, IMMAF itself explicitly cautions against treating grading as proof of fighting ability, describing grading instead as a technical progression and developmental mechanism (IMMAF, 2024a).

We agree.

Does Somebody Need an MMA Belt to Be a Legitimate Fighter?

Absolutely not.

Some exceptional MMA competitors have developed in environments where no MMA-specific belt is required.

Competition itself provides another powerful measurement of ability.

That doesn't present a problem for our argument.

KRMA doesn't believe:

“Every MMA gym should introduce belts.”

We believe:

“Our students benefit from structured progression.”

Those are very different statements.

Many people entering martial arts are never going to become professional fighters.

Many don't even want to compete.

They still deserve high-quality instruction.

They still deserve meaningful technical goals.

They still deserve feedback.

They still deserve standards.

And when they genuinely achieve those standards, we believe it's reasonable to recognise that development.

That's what our grading system exists to do.

Does Science Prove MMA Schools Should Use Belts?

No.

We want to make that completely clear.

There is good scientific evidence supporting principles including effective feedback (Zhou, Shao and Wang, 2021; Han, Syed Ali and Ji, 2022), process-oriented goal-setting (Williamson et al., 2022), perceived competence and autonomous motivation (Xu et al., 2025; Ntoumanis and Moller, 2025), physical literacy and progressive development (Carl et al., 2022), and purposeful practice (Macnamara, Moreau and Hambrick, 2016).

There is also direct organisational evidence demonstrating that structured MMA grading operates internationally through organisations and federations including IMMAF, FMMAF, IMMAA, BMMAF, NLMMAF and AMMA.

Those are:

two different arguments.

The scientific research helps us understand why principles such as meaningful goals, structured development, competence and feedback can be useful educationally.

The federation evidence demonstrates that formal MMA grading actually exists in contemporary martial arts practice.

Neither argument demonstrates:

“Science says every MMA gym should use belts.”

It doesn't.

Grading remains a coaching and educational choice.

Different Methodology. Same Martial Art.

Martial arts have never developed through one universal educational philosophy.

One MMA coach may structure progression informally.

Another might use beginner, intermediate and advanced classes.

Another might recognise Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belts but no MMA-specific grades.

Another might use coloured rashguards.

Another might use certificates or levels.

Another might use a formal MMA belt progression.

IMMAF grades MMA.

France grades MMA.

Ireland has introduced national MMA grading.

Belgium supports structured MMA technical progression.

The Netherlands publishes MMA progression criteria.

The Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association publishes Level and Dan assessment standards.

Individual martial arts organisations and academies also operate their own MMA grading structures.

Other respected martial arts organisations teach integrated multi-discipline curricula while maintaining formal ranking.

And martial arts history itself demonstrates repeated examples of technical synthesis.

Karate developed through cultural and martial exchange.

Judo synthesised multiple Jujutsu systems.

Sambo drew upon numerous wrestling and combat traditions.

Kajukenbo deliberately combined several martial arts.

Kickboxing developed through interaction between established striking systems.

Kudo integrates striking, throwing and groundwork while maintaining Kyu and Dan grades.

Ancient Pankration combined striking and grappling thousands of years before anybody used the abbreviation MMA.

None of these martial arts are identical.

That's not our argument.

Our argument is simply that:

Mixing fighting methods and grading technical development are not contradictory concepts.

What Matters to Us at KRMA

We are completely comfortable with other people teaching MMA differently from us.

There are outstanding MMA coaches and outstanding MMA gyms that don't use belts.

There are outstanding coaches and major organisations that do.

Neither approach automatically proves quality.

What matters far more is what happens on the mat.

Are the instructors competent?

Are students being taught safely?

Is the curriculum coherent?

Are techniques appropriately pressure-tested?

Are students developing?

Are standards meaningful?

Are qualifications described accurately?

Are children properly safeguarded?

Are recreational students taken seriously as well as competitors?

Are people becoming better martial artists?

Those are much more valuable questions than arguing about whether a coloured belt should exist.

At KRMA, we choose structured progression because we believe it provides a useful educational pathway for the people we teach.

We're also prepared to explain exactly what our grades represent.

We believe transparency strengthens martial arts.

Students should understand what they are learning.

Parents should understand what their children are working towards.

Instructors should understand what they are expected to teach.

Examiners should understand the standard required.

And grades should have something meaningful behind them.

We don't expect anybody simply to take our word for it.

Look at the syllabus.

Look at the assessment process.

Look at the qualifications.

Look at the independent organisations.

Look at the research.

Look at the sources.

Then make up your own mind.

For us, that's a considerably healthier martial arts conversation than arguing about whose martial art is more “real”.

Different methodology. Same martial art.

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